Public works machines

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a public works machine constituted by a chassis, a jib articulated on said chassis, and a beam articulated on said jib about an axis, which is disposed in the median zone of said beam, whilst a first working tool is coupled with a first end of said beam, wherein a second working tool is coupled to the second end of the beam, and each of the first and second working tools may be placed in working position whilst being held coupled at its corresponding end to the beam.

United States Patent [191 Leyrat Nov'. 13, 197-3 [54] PUBLIC WORKS MACHINES 3,306,373 2/1967 Pitmanet al 173/28 3,319,724 5 1967 C h [75] Invent: Leym Tnlpmt, France 3,370,654 2/1968 173/52 x [73] Assignee: Societe AnonymetPoclain, Le I plessis'senevme (Oise) France Primary 'Examiner-ErnestR. Purser [22] Filed; F b, 11', 1972 Att0rneyFitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto [21] App]. No.: 225,528

' 57 ABSTRACT 30 F re n A lication Priorit Data 1 M i i y 7110032 This invention relates to a public works machine con- 'ance stituted by a chassis, a jib articulated on said chassis, and a beam articulated on said jib about an axis, [52] U.S. Cl. 173/46, l73/2g,5l7??/ ;31, which is disposed n the median Zone of Said beam, whilst a first working tool is coupled with a first end of [51] Int. Cl. E21c 11/02 said beam, wherein a second working tool is coupled [58] Field of Search 173/28, 29, 43, 46;

- to the second end of the beam, and each of the first 61/63; 175/315; 254/139.1

. and second working tools may be placed in working 5 6] References Cited position whilst being held coupled at its corresponding end to the beam. UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,244,239 4/1966 Balogh et al. 173/28 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEU new 13 ms SHEET 10F 3.

PATENTED NOV 1 3 I975 SHEET 2 OF 3 u 0 MN omq mm R I mq 0% 0 o No PATENTEDNUHBIHB I 3771.610

SHEET 30F 3 J1 QQWIWIIIIJ% 1 PUBLIC WORKS MACHINES The present invention relates to public works machines, and more particularly one provided with a beam supporting two working tools.

In the public works field, it is sometimes necessary to effect work comprising twodistinctvphases of operations. For example, the positioning of telegraph poles requires that holes be previously made in the ground,

machines generally have, for digging purposes, an

auger suspended from the jib or from the jib element articulated to the chassis of the machine, and, for ensuring the handling of the poles, a crane equipment disposed either on the small jib articulated on the jib element coupled to the chassis, or on telescopic elements of the jib, which was then designed to be telescopic for this purpose only.

It is therefore ascertained that the present machines are very special machines designed for a very precise purpose.

This is further verified for the other machines comprising two phases of operations and is not exclusive to the machines for placing poles in position. Consequently, in the case of machines comprising two phases of operation, machines must be designed, made in small number, and-consequently being expensive.

' The invention intends to remedy these disadvantages and to this end proposes a new beam for a machine, known per se, which does not present, a priori, any notable particularity, thus for wide distribution. By adopting this new beam to replace the beam which normally equips the public works machines, without any special adaptation being necessary, the invention enables a machine to be made very simply, which isperfectly adapted to the execution of the two distinct phases of operations. 1

The invention therefore has for its object a public works machine constituted by a chassis, a jib pivoted on said chassis and a beam pivoted on said jib about an axis, disposed in the median zone of said beam, whilst a first working tool is coupled to a first end of said beam.

A second working tool is coupled to the second end of the beam, whilst each of the first and second working tools is able to be placed in working position and being held coupled at its corresponding end to the beam.

The beam, to which the first and second working tools are coupled, is advantageously slightly concave.

In a preferred embodimenh the first working tool is constituted by adigging tool, whilst the second working tool is constituted by a pulley system;

When this first working tool, which is then a digging tool, is constituted by a tool of elongated shape and is suspended from the beam by a supple link means, the machine comprises in addition adevice'for removably holding the free end of said elongated tool out of range v of the ground located beneath the jib, perpendicularly to and on either side of said jib.

This device is generally constituted by a link means, such as a cord, which connects the elongated tool to the jib of the machine. I i

Thus, when the first working tool is constituted by an auger, the above-mentioned device is constituted by a supple link means, such as a cord, one end of which is attached to the jib, the other end to the body of the auger, and which may be wound on said auger.

The invention will be more readily understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show the same machine according to the invention in the course of three successive phases of its functioning.

Referring now to the drawings, the machine comprises in fact the elements constituting a hydraulic shovel, known per se, except for the beam and the tools coupled with the beam. In particular, there is a chassis, constituted in the present case by the base 1, on which the turret 2 is mounted to pivot, and which is provided with rolling members 3 by means of which the machine rests on the ground 4. A jib 5a is pivoted about an axis 6 on the turret 2, whilst a hydraulic jack 7a is coupled between said jib 5a and said turret 2. It will be noted that the chassis could possibly not comprise a turret} but form a one-piece assembly grouping the base 1 and the turret 2. y

A beam 8a is articulated about an axis 9a on the, jib 5a, its hydraulic control jack 10a being coupled between said beam 8a and said jib 5a. In FIG. 1, the jib and the beam have been shown in the following two positions: .in solid lines, these elements are referenced, in

their first position, at 5a and 8a respectively, whilst inv dashed lines, the same elements are referenced, in their second position, at 5b and8b. The beam 8a is elongated in form. The ends 11a and 12a and the median zone 13amay be distinguished. I v

At end 11a, a pulley 14a is mounted to rotate, whilst a lifting cable 15a, wound on the drum of a winc'h 16 disposed on the turret 2, supports apulley-block 171110 which a hook 18a is coupled. At end 12a, there is suspended an auger 19a driven by a hydraulic motor 20a. This auger 19a is coupled with the beam 8a by a universal joint 21a, or by a similar device, preferably, but not obligatorily, disposed laterally on the beam 8a, in order to permit an easier clearance of the auger 19a parallel to the jib 5a and to the side thereof. Furthermore, it will be noted that the auger 19a has already dug a hole 22.

It will further be specified that the axis of articulation 9a of the beam 8a on the jib 5a is disposed in the median zone 13a. Furthermore, when the hole 22 is first dug, the beam and jib are in their positions 8b and 5b respectively.

Finally, it speaks for itself that, although in the example shown, an auger has been chosen as digging tool, it is within the scope of theinvention to select other types of tools such as for example a long frame provided with a grab bucket, which is also a tool adapted to drill cylindrical holes.

in FlG. 2, the working equipment of the machine is shown in a third position. A pole 230 is being taken from areserve of .poles 24. The jib is at 5c, the base at 8c, the lifting cable atlSc, the pulley-block that it supports at 17c and the lifting'hook at 180. It will be noted that the pole 23c, in the course of being lifted, is coupled to hook by link means, such as cords 250. Moreover, the beam is tucked in under .the jib 5c and its end 12c, to which. the auger is coupled, is disposed therebeneath. It will also be noted that the auger is disposed at 19c, substantially parallel to the jib c, and is locked in this position by a clamp means 27a, 27c and 27d, respectively in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3; a supple connection means such as a cord 26 attached by one of its ends to a ring 280, 28c or 28d according to the Figures considered, integral with the jib, being wound by its second end to the auger 19c itself.

Finally, in H6. 3, the pole is shown now at 23d immediately above the hole 22. The working equipment is in a fourth position, the jib being at 5d, the beam at 811, the lifting cable at d, the pulley-block that it supports at 17d and the lifting hook at 18d. The cords which connect the pole 23d to the hook 18d are referenced at 25d. Furthermore, the auger now hangs vertically at 19d, like the pole 23d.

It will be ascertained on this subject that the beam is slightly concave, in the present case in .its median zone 13d, the pole 23d being disposed as near as possible to the beam, in order to permit the auger 19d to be disposed to the side of the pole 23d without interfering therewith, the ends 11d and 12d of the beam 8d themselves then being disposed in distinct vertical planes.

The progress contributed by this machine will be more readilyunderstood upon reading the description of the operation of said machine.

Firstly, it will be noted that the different operations necessitated by the positioning of poles can be effected with a single machine.

Thus, with the beam passing from position 8b to position 8a, the auger digs the hole 22. The hydraulic motor 20a was connected to this end to the hydraulic circuit of the machine, in manner known per se.

After the hole 22 has been dug, the machine is disposed as shown in FIG. 2, in which the crane equipment permits the prehension and handling of the pole 230. It will be noted on this subject that the mode of fixing the auger on the end 12c of the beam has enabled said auger to be brought into position 19c, in which it is held by the cord 26 attached to the ring 280, and locked in the clamp 270. This feature is important, as it is associated with the possibility of lowering the jib and of disposing it, as well as the beam, substantially horizontally, and thus of obtaining a satisfactory and sufficient range of the hook 18 c, without it being necessary to resort to assembling said hook to the end either of a small foldable jib or of a telescopic jib, as is the case in prior known machines.

The pole having been picked up, it is obviously easy to dispose it at 23d and to drop it into the hole 22 by unwinding the cable 15d from the drum of the winch 16. Furthermore, the advantage has already been emphasized of providing the beam to be slightly concave in order to avoid the auger 19d interfering with the descent of the pole 23d. 7

It will also have been noted that the machine which has been described is not a machine which is very different from the conventional machines. In fact, it is only a known hydraulic bucket in which the usual beam has been replaced by a special novel beam. Thus it is realised that a machine according to the invention can be easily made at a relatively low cost price and in any case more cheaply than the special machines known heretofore.

It may further be indicated that, although the progress contributed by this new machine is certain, the constitution of this machine was far from being obvious. Among other notable points, the almost non-.

existence beforehand of beams articulated about axes disposed at the level of their median zone will be noted, since one of the functions of a beam is to elongate the total length of the working equipment,'thus to be articulated on the jib by one of its ends. For the same reason, concave beams were also practically unknown beforehand.

What is claimed is:

1. Public works machine comprising, a chassis, a jib articulated on said chassis, a beam articulated on said jib about an axis disposed in the median zone of said beam, a first working tool coupled to a first end of said beam, and a second working tool coupled to the second end of said beam, the second working tool being constituted by a pulley block for material handling purposes.

2. Public works machine according to claim 1, wherein said first working tool is constituted by a tool of elongated form, supple link means suspending said first working tool from said beam and means for removably holding the free end of said elongated tool out of range of the ground beneath said jib, perpendicular to and on either side of said jib.

3. Public works machine according to claim 2, wherein said first working tool is constituted by an auger and said removably holding device is constituted by supple link means, one end of which is attached to said auger and means for winding said supple link means around said-auger. 

1. Public works machine comprising, a chassis, a jib articulated on said chassis, a beam articulated on said jib about an axis disposed in the median zone of said beam, a first working tool coupled to a first end of said beam, and a second working tool coupled to the second end of said beam, the second working tool being constituted by a pulley block for material handling purposes.
 2. Public works machine according to claim 1, wherein said first working tool is constituted by a tool of elongated form, supple link means suspending said first working tool from said beam and means for removably holding the free end of said elongated tool out of range of the ground beneath said jib, perpendicular to and on either side of said jib.
 3. Public works machine according to claim 2, wherein said first working tool is constituted by an auger and said removably holding device is constituted by supple link means, one end of which is attached to said auger and means for winding said supple link means around said auger. 